Construction of Hunts Point's First Soup Kitchen

Hunts Point in the South Bronx is one of New York City's poorest communities. But, it has never had a soup kitchen-- that is, until now.

Some 400 volunteers are helping to convert a space at Bright Temple AME Church into Hunts Point's first soup kitchen. Food Bank for New York City says many people who rely on the church's food pantry live in emergency housing. Food Bank President and CEO Margarette Purvis says the new soup kitchen will be a game changer for them.

Purvis says, "There is nowhere for these families to prepare a lot of the food that they were trying to give out in the pantry. And that's when we learned that there's not a single soup kitchen anywhere. And we decided to change that."

Volunteers are contributing to construction, painting, and the installation of new equipment. Purvis says the kitchen is set to open within the next few weeks.